Even after historic victory, De’Aaron Fox says Kings ‘can be a lot better than we are’
The Kings’ dramatic, double-overtime victory Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers hasn’t changed much in the mind of De’Aaron Fox when it comes to Sacramento’s turnaround season.
“I mean, we already knew that we could score,” Fox told The Sacramento Bee following a morning shootaround as the Kings prepared to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. “I don’t think there’s much really to take from that game besides just us being able to fight from being down 14 in the fourth quarter, going to overtime, being down in both overtimes and winning the game. I think that’s pretty much it.”
Kings fans have been buzzing in the aftermath of the 176-175 win that was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Many have called it the best regular season game they’ve seen in recent memory. Fox, of course, authored much of the game’s drama with a season-high 42 points along with 12 assists, five rebounds and five steals.
The first-time All-Star had 10 points in the fourth quarter and has a league-high 157 points in clutch moments. He also had 30 or more points for the sixth consecutive game, continuing a franchise record. The Kings won despite being down by 14 points with less than five minutes left in regulation, six points with just over three minutes left in the first overtime and six points inside of two minutes remaining in the second OT.
Sacramento (34-25) has won both its games since last week’s All-Star break and remains in the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings. Their remaining strength of schedule over their final 23 games is the sixth-most difficult in the NBA. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Kings now have an 80% chance of making the playoffs and ending their 16-season playoff drought. The Kings need eight wins to have their first winning season since 2005-06.
“We feel like we can be a lot better than we are,” Fox said. “We’ve had stretches where we’ve been a good defensive team. But like we’ve said in the past, we have to be more consistent on that end.”
To Fox’s point, the Kings are eighth in the NBA in defensive efficiency in the fourth quarter with a 110.9 defensive rating (their 7.3 net rating in the fourth is second in the league).
But for the season, the Kings are 25th in defensive efficiency, allowing 115.6 points per 100 possessions. Head coach Mike Brown continues to harp on the team’s defensive issues while maintaining that being the league’s top offensive team won’t be enough come playoff time.
Said Fox: “I think the game slows down a lot in the fourth quarter, so our defense is more set. But for us, obviously, you want to be able to limit transition. We’ve been a good transition team. But just from the fourth quarter, we try to be physical without fouling and putting teams on the line. (We do that) way too much in the first half, so that’s a point of emphasis for us.”
The NBA for the first time this season is honoring the league’s most timely performer with the Clutch Player of the Year award, named after Hall of Famer Jerry West. Fox is a top candidate given he’s led the league in clutch scoring for most of the season. He was asked if he’ll do any campaigning for the honor down the stretch.
“Me, campaign? Nah, the team can do what they want,” Fox said with a smile. “For me, it is what it is.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2023 at 1:18 PM.
